The M1A1 Carbine, with its characteristic skeletal metal
buttstock and pistol grip, was produced exclusively by the Inland
Manufacturing Division of General Motors. Many of these rifles were
issued to airborne troops who required arms that could be
conveniently carried aboard transport aircraft and gliders for
airborne assaults against Axis strongholds. Inland was the largest
single producer of the M1 Carbine, with a production total of over
2.6 million, or approximately 43% of all M1 carbines produced
during the Second World War. Of these, over 140,000 were of the
M1A1 variant.

After the outbreak of the Second World War, U.S. Ordnance
officers realized the likelihood that the United States would
eventually become embroiled in the conflict. As attacks spearheaded
by airborne and armored units replaced the static trench fighting
of the previous war, it was all too apparent to these same officers
that communications, supply, and other rear echelon soldiers could
suddenly find themselves under attack by crack front-line enemy
troops.

The Army also realized the need for a new semi-automatic
personal defense arm that would be more effective than traditional
sidearms but smaller than a full-size battle rifle. Specifications
for the new rifle were issued; among these was the requirement that
its weight not exceed five pounds. In addition, the successful
design was to have an effective range of 300 yards with the new
Winchester .30 carbine caliber cartridge, which would be fed from a
detachable box magazine.

In May 1941, several test models were submitted for evaluation
by various firms and individual designers. Among those represented
were M1 rifle inventor John Garand of Springfield Armory, Eugene
Reising of Harrington & Richardson, whose submachine gun would
later serve with U.S. Marines in the Pacific, L. H. Hoover of Auto
Ordnance, manufacturers of the Thompson submachine gun, and Val
Browning, son of John Browning, whose design was submitted by
Colt.

Winchester had also been working with a design for a
gas-operated semi-automatic rifle, but the company's involvement
with M1 Garand production prevented it from meeting the deadline
for submissions. Two designs were dropped outright because they
failed to meet the Army's specifications, and the six remaining
prototypes were evaluated at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in June.
Although worthy of consideration, none of these initial submissions
completely met the Army's expectations, and another test was
scheduled for September. Encouraged by Ordnance officials,
Winchester modified its experimental rifle to meet the Army's
specifications.

In less than two weeks, Winchester engineers and designers put
together a crude hand-made model based on a scaled-down Garand
receiver and the short-stroke gas system invented by David M.
Williams. The Army was favorably impressed with this design, but
with less than six weeks before the second round of tests, the New
Haven firm faced the daunting task of producing an operational
prototype "light rifle" prior to the new deadline. Winchester
accomplished this nearly-impossible feat, and when the smoke
cleared, the company's entry emerged as the winner by unanimous
decision of the testing officers. Designated as the "Carbine,
Caliber .30 M1," this design had gone from design to hand-built
prototype to adoption by the Army in only a few months.

The Navy and Marine Corps followed suit in selecting the new
rifle for use by sailors and "Devil Dogs." Less than a month before
the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Winchester received a contract
for 350,000 carbines. Winchester also agreed to authorize contract
M1 carbine production on a royalty-free basis, and in turn, the
government paid the company $886,000 as reimbursement for
development costs.

After the U.S. joined the war against the Axis powers, the
government subcontracted production of the M1 carbine. Ten primary
contractors, including Winchester, I.B.M., and General Motors,
assembled and delivered finished arms. These contractors also
produced some of the required parts, but most of these were turned
out by subcontractors. Production and allocation of parts was
directed by a government-run "Carbine Industry Integration
Committee," which ensured against both potential shortages and
overproduction.

During its production history, several modifications were made
to the initial design to improve performance or to speed
production. Included were changes in the bolt, barrel band, stock,
safety, magazine catch, and rear sight. Flash hiders, grenade
launchers, and a bayonet mount were also available for use with the
carbine as the war reached its conclusion. Standard production
carbines were equipped with a full walnut stock, but a folding
metal stock version, designated the M1A1, was also produced for
airborne operations. Other variants include the T3, which was
capable of mounting infrared night vision scopes, and the M2
selective fire carbine. Originally supplied with a 15-round
magazine, the M1 carbine was also able to use the later 30-round
magazines produced for the M2.

Over 6 million carbines had been manufactured by 1945, making it
the most widely-produced military arm in U.S. history. Most of
these were turned out by companies having no previous experience in
firearms manufacture. These arms saw service in every theater of
war, serving not only with support troops and in rear areas, but
also with front-line Army infantry and airborne units, and with the
Marine Corps in the Pacific. Although sometimes criticized for
lacking the range and power of the M1 Garand rifle and its .30-Ô06
caliber cartridge, the M1 carbine outperformed the pistol and even
the submachine gun, especially at longer ranges.

After the war, many carbines came home with their "owners" in
barracks bags and sea bags as souvenirs of service abroad. Those
remaining in military inventories were refurbished at government
arsenals and placed into storage. Although the M1 carbine
production lines were closed in 1945, spare barrels were produced
after the war. Unlike the .30-Ô06 ammunition used in the M1 rifle,
.30 caliber carbine ammunition was non-corrosive, which eliminated
the need for an extensive carbine re-barreling program.

Nonetheless, some carbines did receive new barrels as part of
the post-war overhaul. The M1 and M2 carbines saw action with U.S.
troops in Korea, and even though they had been officially replaced
by the M14 in 1957, some were still in service through the early
stages of the war in Vietnam. Several million surplus military
carbines were also provided to U.S. allies throughout Asia,
including the armed forces of the Philippines, South Korea, and
South Vietnam.

Approximately 250,000 carbines were sold publicly through the
Director of Civilian Marksmanship program during the 1960s, while
others were destroyed by the government during that period.
Commercially-produced copies were also available from Plainfield,
Iver Johnson, and Universal, as well as from sources overseas. The
M1 carbine did not replace the M1 Garand service rifle, but it was
never intended to. Instead, it provided officers, airborne troops,
and those serving in rear areas with a lightweight but effective
offensive arm. The production figures for the carbine testify to
its effectiveness in combat.